Printing-machine.



No. 646,437. Patented Apr. 3, |900.

E. LAMBERT.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application led Dec. 29, -1.897.)

5 Sheets-Sheet l.

( N o M o d el Wllvv/effw. MM5/1.

THE NORHIS PETERS w. PHOYO-LIYND.. WASHINGTON. U. G.

Patented Apr. 3, |900.

E. LAMBERT.

PRINTING MACHINE. (Application led Dec. 29, 1897.)

5` Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

m; man veren@ m.. Pum'ourno., wAsHmnvoN, u l:

No. 646,437. l Patented Apr. 3, |900.

E. LAMBERT. PRINTING MAGHINE. (Application led Dec. 29, 1897.)

5 sham-sheet 3.

(No Modal.)

me Nonms vsvms co. Pauw-urac.. wAsnmuron. u. c.

Paten'wd Apr. 3, |900.

E LAMBERT PRINTING MACHINE.

(Applxctlon led Dec 29 1897 (Nu Model.) 5 Sheets--Sheef 4,

No. 646,437. Patented Apr. 3, |900.

E. LAMBERT.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application led Dac. 29, 1897.) (No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

YH: ngmus Parras oo. mmumo., msnm-.Yom n. u.

NrrRD STATES nPATRnVr FFICR.

EDOUARD LAMBERT, oF PARIS, FRANCE.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

kSlECIFICl-YJIOBT forming part Of Letters Patent No. 646,437, dated April 3, 1900.

Application tiled llecemher 29, 1897. Serial No. 664,350. (No model.)

To all whom il? may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDOUARD LAMBERT, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident of Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Perfecting Printing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, this invention having been patented in France under date of February 13, 1895, No. 245,099, in Belgium July 18, 1895, No. 116,580, and in England July 20, 1895, No. 13,890. v

This invention relates to a construction of perfecting prin ting-machine having a single cylinder and a reciprocating table carrying two forms, the table being provided with one or more pistons working in one or more aircylinders, so as to deaden the shock when it reaches the extremities of its stroke.

The table, according to the present invention, is moved to and fro by what is usually known as the hypocycloidal motion, in which a toothed wheel revolves within an internally-toothed rack of double the diameter,

a crank-pin on the smaller wheel being thus caused to move to and fro in a straight line. These Wheels being arranged horizontally and the crank-pin being connected to the table, the required reciprocation of ,the table is effected. To each side of the table is fixed a rod carrying at both its ends a piston working in an air-cylinder, which it fits closely only as it approaches the end of its stroke, compressing the air in the cylinder, which acts as a butter. (Instead of two cylinders one cylinder can be used, placed in the middle of the machine.) Each ot the two forms is on a bed resting on two (or more) inclined bars, which, besides moving to and fro with the table, have additional to-and-fro movements imparted to them by cams in such a manner that during each stroke of the table one of the forms is raised while the other is lowered, and thus the cylinder,which is caused to revolve in stationary bearings, by gearing with the table eects impressions on each form alternately. The forms areinked in the usual way, the inking-rollers ascending and descending with the forms.

The cylinder is provided with double grip- 5o pers, and on each side` of itthere are tapes,

the gripper and tape mechanism being Worked by suitable camsand so arranged that a sheet taken by the grippers from the feed-table is iirst carried around with the cylinder and printed on the one side. The grippers holding its front edge then turn over in the gap of the cylinder, and its rear end is directed by tapes in such a manner as to reverse the sheet, while the cylinder turns in the opposite direction and carries the sheet around, printing its other side, after which the cylinder turns in the tirst direction and the tapes carry the sheet onto the delivery-table- In order that the tapes may suitably guide the sheet in its successive movements, some ot the rollers around which they pass are made to oscillate,

and elastic tapes are employed to allow forv their oscillations.

Figure I of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal section, the table being at the right extreme of its stroke. Fig. II is a section of the cylinder, the table being at the left eXtreme of its stroke. Fig. III is a part plan, and Fig. 1V is a transverse section,of a printing-machine according to myinvention. Fig. V is a transverse section, to an enlarged scale, of part of the cylinder and its adjuncts. Fig.VI is a sectional plan of the grippers and spindle. Fig. ,VII is an enlarged sectional view of the cylinder. Fig.VIlI is an enlarged detail view ot the stationary rack and cop-l erating gearing, and Fig. 1X is a plan view of the same. v

The machine has two side frames A A', tied together by cross-frames B, carrying the rails C C for the rollers E E', on which is Amounted the carriage F. The buer-cylinders D D', which are 'closed at the ends, communicate by small pipes d d. The ca'rriage- F has grooves LL, in which can slide two pairs of inclined barsG G/'and H H', the one formtable M carrying the form N resting on the pair G G' and the other form-table M carrying the form N resting on the pair H H.

Both tables are linked to the carriage-F,teach by a pair of rods a co/.and Z) hl, so that while either table can be raised or lowered Aby the longitudinal movement of its inclined supporting-bars its position relatively to the carriage F is unaltered, except in a vertical direction. Between the carriageF and the inclined bars Gr G and H H and between these bars and the tables M M rollers can be placed.

By a belt on the fast and loose pulleys U U is driven the bevel-pinion V, gearing with the horizontal bevel-wheel W on a stud 1,on which is mounted the toothed wheel'X, gearing with the internally toothed stationary rack Y, which is twice the diameter of X. On X is iixed a piece Z, from which projects a pin e into a bearing e, fixed atf to the carriage F, which is thus by the h ypocycloidal gear caused to move to and fro in a straight line. On the pin c is iixed the cam g, above which is arranged a rod h, having a slotted hole t' for the pin e. The rod Zt carries two` rollers j j', which always bear on the periphery of the cam g, giving a to-and-fro motion tothe rod h and to theinclined bars G G and H H', which are fixed' to cross-frames K K', attached by adjusting-screws 7c k' to the rod h. In this machine the bearings of the cylinder must have an unaltered position. The screws 7c la mustbe adjusted to give the proper pressure between. the forms and the cylinder. There is onescrew for eachform. Thus whilethe.

`racks P P on the carriage F gearing .with

wheels OO' on the ends of the cylinder. The cylinder Q has two sets of grippers Z Z on the same axis, capable of turning thereon eithersimultaneously or separately. In the two endsA B" of the cylinder is fitted the,

asegment n on aroclr-spindle 0, having an` arm .19, carrying a` roller q, and similarly on the tubular axis 3 is a pinion m', gearing with asegment n on a spindle o', having an. arm p, carrying a roller q. Each of thespindles o 0 is urged by a helical spring 50 51 to turn in such direction as to` close the grippers on theedge r of the cylinder-slot.

On the end of the cylinder O when the rollu ers q q present themselves isa circular cam s, cut out so that the roller q can run either inside or outside thefcircular rib Z, a movable part u, of which can be moved outward or inward by a forked rod o, moved by leverm and forked rod fJ from a` @am .e on. a counter-shaft gea-red to the mainishaft. Also a cam-piece 8, fixed to the framing, acts on the ro1lerq.; When the cylinder' is long, in the middle of spindle 2 is bearing, and there are two tubular axes 3with grippers Z, one foreach half;

of the cylinder. So there must be two rollers `29, 30and 31.

q and two cams 8, one for each tubular piece 3, at each end of the cylinder. Around the cylinder are the tape-roller 9, moved by the cylinder, and the tape-spindles 10, 11, and 12. The tapes from 9 to 12 are elastic. The roller 12 moves from position 12, Fig. I, to position 12, Fig. Il, raised by two arms fixed on spindle 13. This spindle is moved from a cam 52. The tapes from the roller 14 to the roller 15 carry the sheet to delivery-table 49. The tympan-table 16 and the feed-table 17 are raised and` lowered by rollers on arms 18 and 19. On the rock-spindle 20 two arms carry the rollers 21 22 23, which move from position 21 22 23, Fig. I, to position 21 22 23, Fig. II. A set of endless'elastic` tapes` pass around the rollers 21, 23, 24, and 22 and another around the rollers 22, 24, 25, and 26. Thespindle 13 and the spindle 20, moved by cam 53, are so connected that as the` roller 12goesupthe rollers21 22 23 move away from the cylinder. A set of endless tapes pass around therollers 27, 2S, All these` setsof tapes are moved, the spindles being gearedwith the cylinder by gearset 55 56 5758,

32 is a roller which oscillates from the position 32, Fig. I, to position 32, Fig. II, moved by two arms 33, oscillatingon the shaft of the cylinder. These arms are` moved by two pairsof segments 3i L.t0 or by levers and. by forked rod 1/ fromcam e" on the-same shaft as cam Elastic tapes pass around. roller 32 and around1 the cylinder. Theother parts of the machineare ot' ordinary construction, the inking-rollers being mounted on the formftables to ascend and descendwith them.

The operation of the` machine is. as follows: Assuming theform-tables M- and. M tobe1approaching theextremeof their stroke to the left, the feed-table Z7,carnying the sheet to beprinted, is down, Fig. ILand the cylinder is still turning like the hands of a clock. The grippers Z' have turned to meet the edge 36 of the cylinder-slot, and the grippers Z are in the position Z371 The sheet is at Ehe end of the stroke caught between thegrippers Z Z, the grippers Z havingthen. closed downen Z.` In the reverse movement `the sheet is carried around and-impressed on the` form N', the roller q of the grippers Z: rolling outside the circular` rib s. When the sheet isfree from the tape-rollers 9.10 12, its rear edge being then at 3S, Fig. I, the rollerq has reachedthc sliding piece u, which descends to the positionu, causing the grippers Z1 to turn back toward the edge r of the cylinder-slot. The grippers Z retnrnwith Zstill holding thesheet. lfVhen the grippers ZZ turn back, if the sheet is very little, its edge can be `thrown out of the tapes. 50 is a tube communicatingby a pipe with the cylinders DD and blowingcompressed air on the-sheet tohold` it on the cylindcr and drawing it onward, so asL to release it from the part 39 of thecylinder, while the rear edge of Vthe sheet moves away` from38 to the position 41. Before thecomplete stroke IOO IIO

of the tables to the right a tympan-sheet has been placed on the table 16, and the grippers still holding the printed sheet come to bear on r, thus gripping the tympan-sheet. The cylinder then returns in the direction of arrow 42, and the rear edge of the sheet moves to tapes 43 44 (forming a V) and to tapes 45, which draw italong them and the tapes 46, while the front edge is still held by the grippers, and the sheet is then drawn back from the tapes 45 and 46 and passed between the cylinder and the form N, receiving the perfectingimpression. If the sheet must receive only one impression, the cam-piece 35 can be put in 'a good position to act on the roller q. Then the gri ppers are opened when the sheet is on the tapes 45 and 46. The sheet instead of coming back goes to the delivery-table 48. Instead of atympansheet a good sheet must be put on table 16. This sheet passes between the cylinder and the form N, receiving an impression, and goes back to the deliverytable 49. So each revolution of the machine gives two printed sheets having each only one mpression.- A little before the end of this stroke the roller q' meets the cam-piece 8, opening away the grippers Z' and leaving the sheet free between the cylinder Q and the rollers 9, 10, and 12. Then the roller q, which was inside the rib t, meets the slide u', which, rising, moves the roller q, raising the grippers Z so as to leave the tympan-sheet as well as the printed sheet free and to take a fresh sheet from the table 17. returning in the direction of arrow 47 brings on the fresh sheet, while the printed and tympan sheets are carried between theI cylinder and the rollers 12 and 30 and the rollers 32, Fig. II, 14, 15, and 31 27 by the tapes to the delivery-table 49. During the operations described one of the forms is raised for printing when the tables move in the one direction, the other form being then lowered, to be raised in its turn when the tables move in the opposite direction.

In order to prevent shock as the tables complete their stroke and to accumulate certain force to start them in the opposite direction, the carriage F has on each side forks R R', embracing piston-rods S S', each of which has at each end a piston T T', which work in the cylinders D D', which have their upper sides open from F' to F, but elsewhere are closed. As the tables approach the ends of their stroke the air in the parts f f' of the cylinders is compressed, opposing the movement of the tables, and then at the beginning of the return stroke the compressed air aids their movement.

It will be seen that the raising and lowering of the form-tables instead of raising and lowering the cylinder is a special characteristic of this invention, this being of Vspecial advantage in a perfecting-machine, in which the up-and-down movement of the cylinder- The cylinder thenwould have to take placewhen it is moving at its maximum speed, whereas the tip-anddown movement of thek form-tables in this case takes place when they are moving slowly about the extremes of their stroke. Another special feature is the oscillation of the taperollers 21, 22, and 23, which aids the return of the sheet when in the one position, and the oscillation of tape-rollers 12 and v32, which aids the delivery of the sheet when in the position Fig. Il.

1. In a perfecting-machine having a single cylinder and a reciprocating table carrying two form-tables, the combination with mechanical devices for raising one of the formtables and lowering the other at each end of the stroke of the table, of a hypocycloidal operating-gear having connections for reciprocating said table and rotating the cylinder, and having also connections for operating said devices for raising and lowering the formtables, two sets of grippers carried by said cylinder and turning upon a common axis, operating connections to said grippers, elastic tapes and oscillating rollers carried adjacent to said cylinder for guiding the sheet, and air cylinders and pistons for preventing shock to the table and for starting the same, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the single cylinder, the

reciprocating carriage geared thereto,the vertically-movable form-tables carried by said carriage, inclined bars supporting said formtables, a hypocycloidal gear having connections to the table for operating the same, a cam on the crank of said gear,and connections from said cam to said inclined bars for reciprocating them to alternately raise and lower the form-tables, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the single cylinder, the reciprocating carriage, the vertically-movable form-tables carried thereby, the inclined bars supporting said form-tables, a hypocycloidal gear for operating the tables, connections from said gear to said bars for reciprocating the same to alternately raise and lower the form-tables, gripper mechanism carried by the cylinder comprising two spindles journaled one within the other, a set of grippers carried by each shaft, means foroperating said grippers to cause them to engage the sheet to be printed and to turn it for the perfecting operation, and means for causing said grippers when desired to release the sheet without perfecting substantially as described. 4. In combination, the single cylinder, the reciprocating carriage, the form-tables carried thereby, means for operating said table and raising and lowering the form-tables, a pair of spindles journaled one within the other on said cylinder, balls interposed between said spindles, grippers carried by said spindles, means for operating said spindles to cause them to open and close to en- IOO gage the sheet to be printed and for turning perfected or delivered from the machine, sul)`- the grippers to-turn the `sheet for theperfectstantially as described. 16 ing operation, means for causing` said `grip- In-witness whereof I have hereunto set m-y pers when desired to release the sheet with. handin presence of two Witnesses.

5 out perfecting, oscillating rollers located `in EDOUARD LAMBERT.`

proximity to the cylinder;guiding-tapes pass` Vitnesses: ing over said rollers, and means for operat- EDWARD- P. MACLEAN,

in g said rollers to cause the sheets to be either JULES FAYOLLET. 

